Little girl

The next day.

At an open clearing.

...

Levi poured gunpowder down the musket's muzzle with an intricately made leather pouch.

Tamping down the powder he tossed in a lead shot, pushing it down the barrel with a metal rod.

Raising the gun into an aiming position with the butt pressed into his shoulder, he poured the powder into the flash pan and set aside his powderhorn.

*Bang*

Aiming through the sights, he fired.

In the distance, across a newly constructed shooting range, about seventy meters away the right shoulder of a scarecrow exploded in a puff of dry straw.

"Missed, again." He muttered with a hint of frustration.

"Whoa, so cool!" By his side Javi hopped in elation, giggling out loud.

Glancing at the young girl, the frown that briefly formed on his face disappeared. A faint smile creeping unto his face.

"Wanna Learn?" He asked offhandedly, skillfully reloading the weapon. It was obvious from the fluid movements with which operated the weapon that he had a lot of practice.

"No." Javi shook her head. "Mother said I shouldn't play with weapons."

Although she said that Levi could see the longing in her eyes, nevertheless he didn't persuade her otherwise.

*Bang* *Bang* *Bang*

Another three shots rang out, but not from Levi's musket. A short distance away five knights were also practising how to operate the weapons, their skills varying slightly though.

Across the shooting range, another two scarecrows were toppled over, one having the groin blown off and the other with a missing right shoulder. The third shot grazed by another scarecrow, a foot to the right from hitting it.

Levi finished reloading his weapon and took another shot. The shot hit the target squarely in the chest.

It was a direct hit.

Glancing towards the knights, Levi smirked.

"Guess I win this round again, men."

"Hahaha, I didn't know the young master was such an exceptional shot as well as being a talented scholar. Five in a row with two centre mass hits, I am in awe, Marquess Levi!" A knight named Corner praised generously. He was among the five men chosen by Aden to begin training with the new flintlocks.

These knights were one of the few remaining knights in Greenfields to have any prior experience operating muskets.

Despite Udorian muskets being expensive and relatively rare, the novelty of the weapons meant that many nobles would go to great lengths to possess theirs. Eventually, these weapons would be converted into family heirlooms that would be passed down, so it wasn't an unusual scenario for even a lesser noble branched from an aristocratic lineage to have experience wielding a gun despite not owning one.

"You praise me too much my good sirs. Although I would love to have another round, I think someone is waiting for me." Levi said gesturing with his chin towards a blond girl standing in the distance. She stood at the edge of the clearing watching the men shoot.

"Hehehe. You think too much young master, of course, we understand." Another knight said suggestively as he glanced at Iris. The rest of the knights burst into a peal of boisterous laughter.

The men weren't clear on her identity, but since the young lady appeared to be waiting on Levi they had their own assumptions.

Levi smiled understanding their thoughts but didn't correct them.

"What were they talking about?" Javi asked with a mutter, glancing back towards the knights who were still chuckling and mumbling something incomprehensible amongst themselves.

"Don't worry about it. Even I didn't understand, it was possibly just gibberish."

"Oh? OK." Javi nodded. Levi smiled satisfied with her response.

Leading Javi away with his musket slung on his shoulder, he walked towards Iris.

He had barely spoken with the young woman since she arrived and honestly couldn't be bothered to do so.

Despite acknowledging the fact that the princess was an astounding beauty capable of bringing down nations, glancing at the twin plateaus on her chest barely larger than Javi's he quickly lost interest.

He wasn't sure if it was possible, but he wasn't ready to confirm if the FBI also arrested transmigrators for paedophilia.

Or if they operated across dimensions. Well, who knows?

"What is it?" Levi asked walking towards her. He didn't use any honorifics when addressing her. And it was certainly because he wanted to hide her identity not just because he didn't give a damn about Udorian royalty and was relishing the opportunity to make a mockery of it.

Iris frowned slightly. If she wasn't mistaken she could almost be sure the disregard in Levi's voice was almost tangible and in no way feigned.

Her guard around the suspected philandering debauchee was raised even higher. Quietly, she distanced herself even slightly further away from him.

"A shipment arrived at Redwater. I was confused as to what purpose it served so I came to consult with you."

"What shipment?" Levi asked watching her force a distance of two meters between them.

'What's her problem?' He thought to himself.

"Fifteen Royal Blue tipped falcons." She said.

"Oh, they are here already? Thank goodness, I thought they wouldn't make it."

"Yes, they should have arrived at the castle now."

"Good, Robert mentioned they weren't any left at Gena so he placed an order with the merchant guild there to deliver some here. I almost thought they wouldn't make it before the Strega freezes up." Levi said ruffling Javi's hair as she giggled softly.

"So what is wrong?" He asked.

Iris turned to him expressionlessly, the corner of her eyes were twitching in annoyance.

"These birds cost five Gold Trite each, and you bought fifteen?" She asked her voice dangerously low.

"Hmm, They must be really pretty. I saw their drawing in Milburga Leah's Speculum universale, they looked amazing so I am sure Javi would love to see them."

"Really?" The little girl perked up.

"Hmm." Levi nodded with a smile.

Iris stopped walking.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Levi asked turning to look at her.

Iris's face was very gloomy.

"You bought them because they looked pretty?"

"Huh? Of course not!"

"Then why?" Iris asked crossing her hands over her chest.

Levi paused, his eyes turning cold.

He walked up to her with a frown.

The princess puffed out her chest wanting to stand her ground but remembering the infatuated expression with which Lovell used to describe him she shuddered.

Walking backwards she wanted to create some distance between the two of them but her back quickly hit the trunk of a roadside tree.

Levi towered over her.

Looking down with a frigid gaze he spoke.

"Listen here princess, I don't care whatever opinions you have about me but don't ever speak to me with that tone ever again. I don't care what that old fool told you but don't make the mistake of assuming I am mandated to explain anything to you."

Turning away from her he grabbed a confused Javi by her hand.

In an offhanded tone, he spoke glancing towards her shallow bosom.

"And get your head out of the clouds. I am not into little girls."

Watching Levi walk off towards the castle with Javi, in a voice trembling with anger Iris stammered.

"Li-little girl?"